Chapter 17

Elphaba could feel that something was happening the moment she had landed on the castle's grounds. She meant to fly all the way to the attic but the wind had suddenly changed, so she had to walk to the front door. The castle was lightened, even though the hour was late. Elphaba quickened her pace, heart racing. Let it be Dawn.

Glinda opened the door even before she had a chance to ring the bell. She sighed with relief and pulled Elphaba inside. "Oh, in the name of Oz, where have you been, Elphie? I thought I've seen you land hours ago!"

Elphaba chucked. It was so like her to exaggerate. "Where are you taking me?" she asked, letting Glinda manipulate her down the hall.

"To the library."

"Why? Did you-"

"We didn't find her," Glinda replied sadly. "But I think we know how to do it, now."

Elphaba stopped on her tracks. "How?"

"Come in and find out," Glinda said mysteriously.

Garth opened the door for them. Fiyero and Boq set there, and Elphaba recognized the Bulldog in their company as the chief policeman of the Emerald City. They all looked happy and relieved to see her.

"Fiyero? What is going on?" she asked, taking off her black cloak. Glinda took a seat beside Boq.

"Well, we have some news. They are not good, but they are not so bad," said the Dog.

"Did you find her?" she asked quietly, though without much hope. She wasn't surprised when it shook its head.

"I'm afraid we didn't, but we have a chance to get her back now."

"How?" Elphaba stared at the piece of parchment the Dog held out for her. She slowly took it from it. Miss Elphaba. If you want to see you daughter again, come to the alley behind The Dancing Elf club tomorrow at midnight. Come alone, or you'll never get her back. It wasn't signed. "What is this?" she whispered.

"An anonymous letter," the Dog replied.

"Yes, I figured as much; where did you get it?"

"Lalley found it on the front door with the evening paper," said Fiyero.

Elphaba read it again. Then she slowly raised her head to face Fiyero and quietly said, "Fine. I'll go, then."

"Alone?" asked Glinda.

"This is what they want, right?"

Fiyero shook his head and looked at her seriously. "I can't let you do that, Fae," he said slowly.

"Do you want to see Dawn again?"

"Of course I do, but how do you know it's not some kind of a trap?"

"If this is the only way to get her back, I don't care," she said stubbornly.

"But I do!" Fiyero insisted. "And you are not going there alone!"

"Then what are you suggesting?" she retorted, somewhat annoyed. She forgot he could be just as strong-minded as she was.

"We'll go there together."

"No."

"Elphaba, I'm not asking you this. I'm telling you. I won't let you go alone."

"May I suggest something?" asked the Dog, interrupting this argument. "I agree that Elphaba cannot go there alone, this is too dangerous and risky. Yet, she has to be there alone, according to this note, so that she'll get the child back. But what if we'll go there and hide someplace, to make sure that she is all right?"

"Who do you think we are dealing with here? These persons are not stupid, they'll know that the minute I'll-"

"Elphaba, we'll do it that way or we won't do it at all," Fiyero cut her off mid sentence. She frowned at him. He didn't care. "I will not lose both of you," he said gently and took her hand in his. "So take it or leave it."

She thought about it for a moment. Then she sighed, defeated. She just wanted her daughter back. "Fine. We'll do it your way, then."

The next day passed in painful slowness. They didn't go out searching that day; they saw no point in doing that. Elphaba was restless. Was this the day when she would finally see her little girl again? She sat in the attic most of the day and just stared outside of the window, holding Dawn's teddy bear. She couldn't concentrate doing anything else. She kept seeing Dawn's image everywhere.

"Wait until tonight, my little pretty," she whispered into the empty space of the attic. "Mama is coming to get you." She wondered if the wind would carry her promise to Dawn, wherever she was.

They ate dinner in silence. Everyone was nervous, except for Dyre, who had no idea about what was about to happen. "Auntie Elphie, when will Dawn come back?" he asked suddenly.

Elphaba dropped her fork.

"Dyre!" Glinda whispered furiously.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. He missed Dawn terribly. Even if he sometimes thought that she was an annoying little girl, she was his best friend, and practically his little sister. His parents said nothing about how she disappeared but he knew that these bad men took her, the same persons who wanted his Auntie dead. He hoped he would see his little friend again.

"No, Glinda, that's okay," said Elphaba. "Sweetie, we hope we'll see her tonight," she told Dyre.

Glinda frowned. "Elphaba, it's not…" she started, but it was too late. Dyre's eyes lightened with sudden hope.

"Really? Is she coming back?"

"We hope so, sweetie."

"I miss her," he said quietly.

Elphaba slowly nodded. "I know, baby. I miss her too," she said. She glanced at the enormous clock on the wall. Six more hours.

Elphaba was making final arrangements before she would go out to the meeting place when Fiyero entered their room. She was surprised to see him there. "Why aren't you out with the chief and everyone, it's getting late," she said.

"I'm on my way, I just wanted to…" he started. He didn't know how to say it, so he just pulled her into his arms. "Please be careful out there, Elphaba," he whispered into her hair.

"I will. I promise," she whispered back. "Fiyero, whatever happens…" she started.

He put a finger on her lips. "Don't say that. Don't think about it."

"I will always love you, no matter what," she said seriously.

He nodded, holding back tears. A weird sensation was washing through him. It was like his blood was freezing. Something would go wrong… He tried to erase that off his mind.

"I love you too… I always will," he promised and leaned over to kiss her. They held each other for a moment, then let go. It was time to go.

Elphaba slowly walked into the alley. It was cold, and darker than she expected. She adjusted the cloak's hood on her head as she moved forward. She couldn't see the police forces or Fiyero but knowing they were there somewhere made her feel more at ease. She was glad that they convinced her to do it their way.

From within the shadows, a figure moved in her direction. She tensed.

"Just on time," said an unfamiliar voice. "Very well."

"Where is she?" she asked.

The man laughed viciously. "Straight to the point. She is fine, don't you worry."

"The deal was that she would be here." This is not going well, she thought frantically. She had the strangest feeling that Fiyero was right, that it was a trap. "What is it that you are really after?" The man laughed again. "Answer me. Is it you who wrote all these things? Did you hit Boq? Did you follow Glinda and her son? What do you want from us?"

"Revenge," was his simple answer.

She stared at him, when it was slowly dawning on her what was it that he wanted. It wasn't her daughter at all. "Dawn is not here, isn't she?"

"No, she is not," just as calm as before.

"Then this conversation is over," she said coldly, turning to go.

And she was standing face to face with Luke.